EricinMaryland's BOB, formerly "Yet Another BOB by a Noobie"

[BigBossMan]

Thank you Mods for getting my username changed!

I don't like it. No sir. Not one bit.

[EricinVirginia]

I'm sorry BBM... it was inevitable and I'm just barely starting to come up for some air here!

[BigBossMan]

I'm sorry BBM... it was inevitable and I'm just barely starting to come up for some air here!

I know. I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Hopefully we can get together at the Cove in the Spring.

[EricinVirginia]

I hope so.

Over the holidays, I learned that trail making is a lot easier with a tractor... and a reciprocal saw. I've decided to enjoy power tools pre-PAW. I have a nice 3.5' trail that goes from my backyard winding through a forest to the old logging trail and then comes back on the diagonal. Nice 10 min walk with the dog. I'm going to expand it down into a seasonal creek and will probably work the trail to cross the logging trail and go up a 70' hill perfect for camping with the family.

[Murph]

Towelie is that you?!

I love the clothes line and backwoods clothes-pins. That's some awesome-sauce. The username change is pretty boss too.

[EricinVirginia]

It was important to Arthur Dent, it's important to me. Towels. 'nuff said.

[stimpy321972]

Thank you Mods for getting my username changed!

Yeah thanks, one Eric in VA was enough


also, belated welcome to the commonwealth !!

[EricinVirginia]

You could have taken on the name "StimpyinVirginia" or "VAStimpy"... the possibilities are endless.

I need to update this with my Osprey Aether 85L pack. I've only had time to do 3 short 3 mile or less hikes in the backyard with it. But, I am LOVING IT.

[EricinVirginia]

My conceal carry came through. I love Virginia. From taking the class to getting it was 3 weeks. To celebrate, I went out and grabbed a Kahr PM9. While buying that I said something like... "So with a 10 day waiting period, this will be ready on..." and was interrupted by laughter - "Sir, you're not in Maryland anymore. There is no waiting period." Nice. What a difference a state makes.

Doomsday Preppers has me reassessing home security and preps. I felt good about my Marylandistan plan. I haven't really been able to wrap my head around this place.... to many doors and windows. Water would require some work but we have water. Food remains about 3 months. I think I'd be slammed by the "experts" and need to work on that.

[stimpy321972]

VIVA La Commonwealth !!


The last glock I bought, I was in and out in less than 15 minutes, took longer to fill out the state/federal form's than to get the approval from the VSP.



See what you have been missing all these years !!

Now if we can get NYKH, Shark and a couple others to cross the border, we can close all the bridges across the Potomac

[BigBossMan]

VIVA La Commonwealth !!


The last glock I bought, I was in and out in less than 15 minutes, took longer to fill out the state/federal form's than to get the approval from the VSP.



See what you have been missing all these years !!

Now if we can get NYKH, Shark and a couple others to cross the border, we can close all the bridges across the Potomac

When I finally retire, I'm moving to a state that doesn't even share a border with the Peoples' Republic of Maryland.

[moab]

Wow. What a great thread!

My wife thinks I'm a weirdo for prepping and building up an INCH bag. I think I'm going to have her read your thread. What a heart warming family story! Your a very lucky man.

We're planning on moving back to a more rural area too. Hopefully this summer. Anyway thanks for a great thread!

[EricinVirginia]

When I finally retire, I'm moving to a state that doesn't even share a border with the Peoples' Republic of Maryland.

I prefer to think of Marylandistan as Virginia's grocery store when SHTF.

Hi Moab. Glad you like the thread. I like to look back and see where I have been. It helps me stay focussed. My wife thought I was weird when I started getting into prepping too, but when I restructured it as a family hobby and motivation for physical fitness... well, a few times in the great outdoors and she was hooked... not by me, but by the great outdoors. There's something to be said for getting outside every once in a while and experiencing true life surround sound.

[EricinVirginia]

Tear Gas update... a while ago, I picked up some CS gas from several online vendors. This was motivated in part because my wife was fascinated by the military training where you intentionally get gassed and have to do things. She thought it'd be a good experiment to do this... When we finally got them, my wife's desire had lessened somewhat. So, I sealed a 2 oz one to see if it was leaking at all. This was a year ago, here it is today.



Upon close inspection, you'll notice that the sealed bag is inflated massively. My theory is that the propellant is leaking. My wife is trying to work up her courage to want to try this, but I'm actually more curious if the sealed bag will hold out through another 100+ degree summer. My attic has only passive ventilation and it regularly gets up past 140 degrees up there. I suppose at some point, I'll pop the bag and find out very quickly if my theory is correct. Regardless, I need to test this out to see that it works. They supposedly have a pretty decent shelf life, but how do you really know right?

So, this experiment began what? 2.5 years ago? That 2 oz "grenade" sat happily sealed in temperatures ranging from 140 degrees in the attic in summer time to below freezing in the winter. We finally went out into the forest and did it. Cutting the balloon... there was no CS in the balloon. My theory is that the propellant was slowly leaking. Activating the cannister was easy and toss... downwind within about 40 ft, you couldn't tell a thing. 30 ft, eyes begin burning and the dog did not like it. 20 ft and typical gas effects begin. 10 ft and woah... I think this stuff has gotten stronger over the years. Beyond the tearing up and burning sensation, the coughing was bad enough that I felt like I was going to begin vomitting. Being a ZSer, I walked over and picked up the cannister to see how hard it would be if someone threw something like this near me/at me. Getting near it was hard. Picking it, because it's a spray can was easy. Even at 2 oz, it continued to release gas for a good 60 seconds. If inside a building, I think it would be enough to evacuate several 1000 feet of building space and debilitate anyone near it. The effects lasted for a good 5 minutes with residual effects lasting several hours. I think it was everything my wife wanted it to be.

[moab]

Did she man up and test herself with it? LOL!

[EricinVirginia]

Yup, she did it. I'll have to do a 1M volt stun gun story too now huh?

[moab]

Yup, she did it. I'll have to do a 1M volt stun gun story too now huh?

LOL! Can't wait to hear her reaction to that one! Your wife is a real stand up gal. Mine would kill me with a dirty look just for suggesting it.

[EricinVirginia]

Okay some updates...

We got chickens for egg laying and eventually eating. We're starting with just 4 and operating under the assumption that the kids will love them until they have to actually take care of them. Loki the GSD can't wait. So far, he has been great with them often content to just watch and lick his chops. Our neighbor's dog, a pitbull mix puppy, realized they were delicious almost immediately and killed one and crippled the other, so we've had 2 casualties and replacements already. It was tough on the kids, but as I kept reminding them, it was a lot tougher on the chickens. They're outside now as 5 week olds in a "chicken tractor" consisting of a small platic storage box with nesting boxes inside it and a cat door out to our dog's old crate. The idea here being to be able to 1) move it around easily, and 2) use a hose to spray it clean as it gets nasty. 3 nights and no snakes, foxes, or attempted break-ins so far.







I took the kids to a YMCA campout, part of the "Indian Princess" program... think of girl scouts with more emphasis on fun activities and less on merit badges. "You ran the obstacle course!?! Awesome, here's a patch!" Not exactly roughing it, but the kids had a fun time in spite of having to remove no less than 5 ticks, in March. Sighs. My IFAK was used often between ticks, a saw-cut hand, and various scrapes and burns. All in all, it was good fun. My oldest got a bullseye in 22LR shooting which put our tribe at the top of the nation for riflery. Other daughter did okay, but both seem to be going through a phase where they just don't care about guns. Archery was a wash too because the YMCA bows were crap compared to the ones we've been playing with here at home. Of note, last time I went camping, a bird crapped on my tent. I cleaned it best I could but apparently not quite well enough... when I set up for this camp out, the "residue" had eaten tiny holes in the tent fabric. Sail patch tape sticks quite nicely to tents though and makes a good repair patch. I have say though that a patched tent looks like a rusty car up on blocks. Still, we're after utility right?








We've also added some archery into our family's life. Anyone surprised at all that Doomsday Preppers isn't showing anyone (besides the roadkill eating guy in Maine's throwing sticks and tomahawks) preparing or training with non-firearms... and yeah, I saw the guy in AZ with the tricked out shovel. That's not what I mean. Slingshots, bows, etc...
Wife is going primitive/traditional style.


I like more current archery gear.




Stun Gun story. ZAP Light 1M Stun Gun/Flashlight here... My wife and I decided to get a stun gun as part of picking one up for my mom who has a late night art class in DC for her birthday. These recharge off a car's 12V or plug in wall. By itself, it's a nice and bright blinding flashlight. You push the light button up one more time and it arms. The metal prongs pierce clothing and help to limit the shocking to the muscle group affected. Most states consider these as weaopns you cannot conceal. So having it out in flashlight mode works quite nicely as it's bright enough that if you shine it in someone's face, they'd have to really mean business to keep coming. Just like the movies, you get a nice electric arc and it is loud. I'd put it up there at around 90 db loud. More powerful than 1M volts and you actually just end up burning the person rather than shocking them. Less than 1M and it seems like you don't really slow them down, just piss them off. So that's why we went with 1M instead of something else. So, we played with this to learn how they work. First of all, double layer jeans will block the stun, as will anything leather. Shoe bottoms are impervious. That being said, the metal prongs help the charge get through clothing. Just barely touching this to my leg for a fraction of a second, we're not massochists I promise, felt like I was charlie horsing my leg and hours later it felt like I had sunburned the contact area. My wife is not ashamed to admit she screamed like a girl. The only real con of this is that you can't leave it unplugged in as the charge seems to actually dissipate over about 10 days. It also seems more effective during less humid days (low humidity equals super bright arc and very loud crackling sound). My mom has gotten quite a kick out of this as she can use it in flashlight mode and feels very safe with it. Though she hasn't come out and said she loves it, my dad has shared a few stories with me about how her attitude has changed when she goes walking at night or early morning, or when she's out shopping late at night or after her DC classes. There is a method to stun guns where you want to score a hit on the assailant. They'll pull back and when they do, you pick and choose to hit them more firmly for a good 3 "mississippi" count... which will leave them shaking and probably not wanting to pursue you. Fully charged, this little puppy will discharge the entire battery in about 30 seconds.



Lastly, early on in this thread, I had asked about arboring gear. Today I scaled a tree in our front yard in preparation for a tire swing. I used a lineman's belt and hunting strap-on ladders as I didn't particularly feel like maiming the trees. They don't look like they are very strong... but I was surprised how sturgy they actually are. Like using hammock straps, friction with the bark and the metal ladder frames prevent it from pivoting around. Now, I'm not going to jump up and down on these, but I weigh 190 lbs and they held me. I have a rigger's belt from Tactical Tailor I used for my pistol setup. I used that with the lineman's strap and had some rope just in case. It was all fine and good. great work out too. I got about 40' feel up I would guess... but I just went out with a rangefinder... 8 freaking yards, so 24 feet. LOL. Makes me want to climb some of the other trees around the house. Quite a different view from up here:






Ticks... I have been all over Maryland, PA, and parts of WVA and VA and have never had problems with ticks till I got to the Richmond area. What gives Richmond?! These things are nasty. It's March and ticks are everywhere. At first, we tried the hot match ember... nothing. Then we tried vaseline... nothing. Then we tried tweezers, but the problem is that they're so compressable that they often get away from tweezers. So finally, I busted out my Leatherman Skeletool and... wow, new use for the skeletool pliers. These things are like tick magnets. And then I burn them because they seem indestructible.

[moab]

Gotta link for the sail cloth repair stuff? That sounds like a great idea for an INCH.

Your post makes me want to get a crossbow now! Damn you man! LOL!

(What's the dudes name on walking dead? lol!)

[EricinVirginia]

Sail patch tape, works on tarps, tents, etc...

I don't have a pic of this on the tent as I put it away already, but yes, it's very handy. It's flexible and quite sticky and more importantly it binds to wet surfaces and remains waterproof whether taut or slackened up. Cutting the tape is a PITA, but basically I found that you stick a tiny edge to a clean pastic surface and cut the non-sticky side with a very sharp knife. It folds with the fabric. You can find this in a variety of different styles and flavors.

Edited to add... all of the above updates and activities are either part of my BOB setup in some way (rope, rigger/pistol belt, EDC IFAK, etc) or are part of the stockpile from which I would conditionally draw from for mission-configured BOBs.

[EricinVirginia]

So... some updates. Turns out the best way to remove ticks is not any of the stories you have ever heard. The best way is to get tweezers or pliers or a multitool (I like my leatherman skeletool) and gently pull without twisting so that there is some pressure. The tick will eventually let go... where eventually means after a few seconds. To ensure the nasty sucker never sucks again, burn with fire.

Meanwhile, I finally got a shed done and made the mistake of using it like a shed. Some very nice Stihl power tools: chainsaw, loop trimmer/brush cutter, and backpack blower were stolen along with a .177 air rifle. I'm so freaking mad I can barely think when this crosses my mind. I think it's a violation of man code to steal brand new power tools like this. f'ers! I need to upgrade the latch, lock, and am going to stage a baited trap... will put a motion detector hidden camera in shed with an obvious but fake security camera to distract attention away from the real one. Once set up, will get some Stihl boxes and leave them obviously in yard near shed. There are 250 acres of land behind my place and the owner rents it to hunters. My theory is that one of them helped himself. The new boxes set, will wait patiently for photo id to emerge. Will put game cameras on path from hunting land to shed. Loki, my german shepherd, did a good job watching from the couch where he is not allowed but can see he got up on it to see out the window.

[stimpy321972]

Welcome to Southside !!!!! , Sorry to hear about your break-in, time to get serious about preps/stashes. If they can take that with little effort, they might move on to bigger things. Watch your six, bro !!!

[Murph]

That totally sucks about the shed. Some people are real D-Bags.

As for ticks, I like the "Tick-Key" the best:

[EricinVirginia]

Thanks for the moral support and disgusting illustrations... ticks are so nasty.

Screamer alarms, perimeter alarms, nightvision cam, stealth game cam, and fake distraction cam all set and good to go. Will be baiting it up. I don't keep anything real by way of preps in my shed (though chainsaw...?), but as you noted Stimp, if they went that far who knows how far they'll go. As you have no doubt seen there has been a rash of B&Es here in Richmond lately and even though they caught 4 guys on Wed, that wasn't southside. I am going to make it so easy for these a-holes to come back and am going to get nice pics of them for the local LEOsquad.